


I'll keep you safe

by RandomWriting789



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Camping, Cute, F/F, Fluff, Paralysis, Post-Season/Series 05, Protective Adora (She-Ra), Scared Catra, They on their BFS road trip
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-07
Updated: 2020-10-07
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:47:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26882413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RandomWriting789/pseuds/RandomWriting789
Summary: Adora and Catra are facing a faction of Prime clones on a distant planet, Bow and Gimmer having gone to Etheria for a date night. Things take a really bad turn when the pair are too far from Darla and Catra has been paralyzed by one of the clones. Adora carries her to safety, sets up camp and takes care of her for the night.OrCatra is scared and hurt, Adora is protective of her gf and takes care of her, and they're both on the run from Prime clones
Relationships: Adora & Catra (She-Ra), Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 128





	I'll keep you safe

''GET EM' BABE!'' Catra yelled as the two of them charged at the army of clones

''Awww you called me 'babe' '' Adora began to tease as she sent a clone flying with a wave of her sword 

''Don't make a thing of it, Princess'' Catra replied as she batted a clone with her staff ''On your right!'' 

Adora turned to her right, Catra facepalmed ''Sorry, not your right, MY right'' she yelled as she dashed forward to destroy the clone that was trying to stealthily attack her girlfriend.

Adora laughed out loud ''Stilll, it's so cute!'' She smiled, now back to back with Catra, the clones had surrounded them in a circle ''you think we can take them all together?''

''Oh i KNOW we can'' Catra smirked, launching herself off of She Ra's back and straight into the sea of clones, jumping between them as Adora went to finish them off.

''Hey Catra! I think these ones are different, some of them have weapons'' Adora observed as she finished yet another one off

''Maybe they aren't as dumb as we thought they were'' Catra shrugged as she hit one in the back of the neck ''You're clear''

She Ra jumped towards it and observed its new accessories ''Maybe they're starting to accessorize'' She hit one approaching Catra with a beam of magic ''Like Hordak did'' 

''I don't think 'Accessorize' is-ugh-'' Catra threw a clone off to the side ''Is really the word for it, you make it sound like he was just playing dress up, besides, it's not like their 'accessories' are even cute''

Adora half laughed, half scoffed ''Of course you don't find anything cute''

''I find _you_ cute'' Catra reminded her

Adora's eyes seemed to light up at the comment ''awww, you really do?'' she blushed, sweeping the last of the army and turning to her girlfriend

Catra turned around with her typical deadpan stare, ready for the sea of compliments and kisses Adora was bound to give her. As she turned, her face fell.

Her girlfriend had transformed back and was giving her that same, loving smile, believing that most of the clones were either gone or retreated. The color green flashed behind her as one last monster approached, grinning as he inched towards her.

The green lightning crackled as the scene changed, it wasn't a clone behind her anymore, it was _Prime_. With his signature devious smile he walked towards the love of her life. Adora was in the same outfit she was in when they rescued her from the ship, it was Catra's worst nightmare all over again. Her only thought in the moment was to protect Adora, to make sure no harm comes to her, just as she had the last time they were in this situation. 

''ADORA'' She yelled before tackling her girlfriend to the side, she felt Prime's hand close around her neck, she was just about to sink her nails into his hand and get free when it happened.

The clone rammed the taser into her back, a shock going through her immediately. She tossed her head back in a scream. Images of her time on Prime's ship flashed in her mind, she saw herself being dragged back down into that pool. She went numb, her senses malfunctioning, she could still hear properly but she felt so _distant_ she couldn't feel anything as the clone dropped her to the ground, she only perceived that she fell due to her point of view. She was trapped, she couldn't move, no matter how her brain screamed at her to do something, her body wouldn't let up.

Adora got up only a second after Catra pushed her she looked to see her girlfriend scream in agony as the clone pushed a taser into her back. The lightning engulfing her whole body, just as it had when she was chipped. He dumped her on the ground, where she lay unmoving, Adora's heart began to race. 

She materialized the sword, not even pausing to transform, and stabbed it straight through the clone in rage. 

All she could feel at that point was pure, boiling, anger. How dare her lay a hand on her, how dare he try to put her through that same hell again, how dare he hurt her Catra. 

The clone blew up on impact, the magic from the sword easily overpowering him and reducing him to bits.

Adora breathed heavily, trying to calm herself, before Catra's still body came back into focus

''CATRA'' she cried out, her anger seeming to vanish as she fell to her knees beside the brunette. This image was all too familiar, her mind seemed to revert back to Prime's ship.

''It's okay, it's okay, I'm here'' she whispered, just as she had before. She gently scooped Catra into her arms and surveyed the damage done to her.

Catra's eyes were wide and focused, Adora could tell she was awake by the way she looked at her. She stared at Adora in total fear, hoping she could do something to save her. 

Catra barely ever let herself be scared, even now, when she was trying to be more open with her feelings, fear was never an option. But this experience was far more terrifying then anything that came before it, she was stuck in her own mind. She feared even perceiving the world around her, hoping not to see herself behave the way she did back then. She didn't want to be stuck in her own mind again

She couldn't feel Adora shift her into her arms, she could vaguely hear here telling her it's okay, that she's here. And so she did the one thing possible for her to do now, and she looked to Adora, silently begging her for help. She never wanted Adora to save her, she never liked the feeling of having others help her, she'd done drastic things in the past instead of taking help from anyone, and yet, now, she was looking to her to save her again.

She pulled Catra closer, softly cradling her limp body as she stared into her eyes. Catra's pupils dilated slightly at the sight of her. ''Don't worry'' she calmed her as she rubbed circles on Catra's back ''I'll keep you safe''

Catra couldn't quite feel the hands on her skin, but she could perceive herself being in that same protective hold once more. She could hear Adora tell her she'd keep her safe, and her heart fluttered as she saw the fierce protectiveness in her girlfriend's eyes

''It's getting dark'' She said as she looked up to the sky. The sun (she thinks that's what the clones called it) was setting and they had only a little more daylight, clones would probably arrive here at nightfall and Darla was on top of the mountain and they couldn't reach her in Catra's state, they were stranded. She looked down at the young woman in her arms again, she was still looking up at her, probably thinking the same thing. Whatever happened, Adora knew she had to take care of her first thing, she wouldn't let any more harm come to her.

She softly placed a kiss on Catra's forehead before saying ''I'm gonna make camp and hide out, we can make the trip back up tomorrow, Bow and Glimmer should be back from Etheria by then'' Catra tensed up again, her pupils shrinking as if to try and stop Adora from letting her go ''Hey, hey, I'm gonna carry you there and I'll stay super close, I'm not leaving you'' 

She hoisted herself up with Catra in tow. She made sure to place her arms over her chest so they didn't dangle while she was running, Catra's head drooped to rest on her firm shoulder.

* * *

She'd jogged around for at least 15 minutes, looking for a place to hide, her arms were starting to ache at carrying Catra's weight. Every once in awhile, she'd get a burst of She Ra's strength and manage to keep going.

She eventually managed to find a small cave between the rocks, with a pleasant amount of overgrowing trees camouflaging it, they'd be safe there

''I'll be right in the corner for a second, okay?'' She told Catra as she hesitantly placed her down against a rock, making sure to balance her so she wouldn't fall.

 _I can't really say anything but, okay_ Catra thought as Adora disappeared from sight. If she were being honest, she was really grateful to have someone like Adora in her life. Someone who completely understood her, unconditionally loved her, and took care of her at points where she couldn't take care of herself. She felt so alone and powerless back there, her mind racing at the thought of having a chip attached to her neck. The very feeling in her body going numb as she lost control of herself. She didn't know what she would've done had Adora not been there

Adora got a fire going in a pit at the corner of the cave, it lit up the surrounding area and allowed her to get a better look at Catra. She shivered slightly as she remembered how cold she was, she walked back to Catra and knelt beside her. 

''You're freezing'' She whispered the moment she touched her arm, to her surprise, Catra's ear flicked as she rolled her eyes, the paralysis was starting to wear off.

She quickly removed her jacket, wrapping it around her girlfriend instead. She was fairly sure Catra was inwardly protesting against the treatment, but she was too worried to argue.

''I'm pretty sure this entire thing is temporary'' She tried to comfort her ''You should be fine in a few hours''

Catra's eyes widened _hours?_ There was no way in hell she would sleep like this, she shuddered (inwardly) to think of how vulnerable she was in her state, what if she was attacked? What if the clones came back? What if she'd wake up on Prime's ship with a chip on her neck? 

She was brought out of her fear as Adora shivered, she looked up at her with sorrowful eyes

''Don't worry about me'' Adora smiled ''I'm supposed to worry about you'' She adjusted the jacket around Catra so it would keep her completely warm, Catra's expression shifted to mild anger at those words _of course i'm gonna worry about you when you're freezing to death, dummy_

Adora went outside in an effort to make the cave a little more secluded, she heard a familiar rustle in the bushes as she dragged a curtain of vines across the mouth of the cave, glancing back every once in awhile to make sure Catra was okay.

They seemed to be out of immediate danger for now, though she could still hear clones scouring the area for them, she hoped Catra couldn't hear it too, she didn't need to be put in any more stress right now. She finished up by scattering a few leaves as she heard footsteps approach _clones_ she thought, summoning her sword for a fight, anyone who came near here was _not_ going anywhere near Catra

''Our last transmission from our fallen brother indicates that our little sister has been ambushed and paralyzed'' came a voice that sounded almost identical to Hordak's

''unworthy wretch, she should be grateful Prime spared her to serve under him''

''Patience, brother, our final task was clear, we must preserve Lord Prime's will and bring her back under his control, only then shall we target She Ra''

 _must've been some pretty old commands_ Adora thought, she'd noticed that Prime had sent different clone battalions to find Catra once she'd been rescued, but she didn't think they'd still be on task once they were gone.

''Prime shall rise again, brother, but his punishment on her shall be merciless'' the clone continued

''Our loss of the hive mind will not permit us to see Lord Prime's thoughts, but we shall make sure to punish her once she is caught, she shall pay for her disloyalty, as for She Ra, I am sure the loss of _her_ Catra will be enough to lure her out in the open''

Adora shuddered to think what these things would do to her girlfriend if they captured her. The last time, Prime intended to keep her alive and well in order to control her during their fight, but this time, the clone's didn't really need to do that.

She heard the two slowly walk away from the scene and debated on following and killing them. It might alert the others and force her to deal with more of them all night, but what she wouldn't give to ram her sword through those two for what they'd said.

With a shock, she realized she'd left Catra alone for too long. She carefully pulled the curtain of vines over the mouth of the cave before turning around to check on her. Catra looked scared, her pupils, still shrunk to pinpricks as they darted around her field of vision. Adora stoked the fire before finally settling next to her.

''I was making sure no one could see the cave from outside, we're safe here'' She exhaled, hoping to calm Catra down. ''We'll probably be here for the night, I'm sure you'll be better by tomorrow''

Catra raised an eyebrow _and what if I'm not?_

''And besides, I'm sure She Ra can carry you back up with no problem'' she kept trying to keep the mood light, both for herself and for Catra, but her mind kept wandering back to those clones and what they'd said.

She instinctively pulled Catra closer to her, almost wrapping her entire body around her like a makeshift cocoon. _she's safe_ Adora reminded herself _i'm gonna keep her safe_.

''you're warming up'' she smiled as she and Catra fit snugly together, Catra rolled her eyes again, _and you're not_ she could tell that, even when she'd gone numb.

By this point, she was protectively curled around the woman she loved, constantly reminding herself that she was safe. Catra looked up at her, her pupils dilated, _those eyes_ , she'd never wanted to see that kind of fear and terror in them again. She thought back to Prime's words, '' _your_ Catra''

 ** _My_** _Catra_ she reiterated _the Catra I'm gonna protect from him no matter what_

She froze as she heard more voices from the mouth of the cave, Catra's ears stood on end (the paralysis must be wearing off) indicating that she could hear too. Adora pulled her deeper into the embrace, actively shielding her from any harm that was to come.

She looked to the crackling fire, hoping it wouldn't give their position away, the faint warm glow might be enough to attract any Clones on their tail

''Our little sister will be located soon'' a Clone commented in the same monotone voice

Adora tightened her grip

Catra tried to focus on her surroundings, the white shirt she was practically buried in. the golden strands of hair decorating her field of vision, the pale skin of the hand that was holding her close. She hoped with all her heart that it wouldn't disappear, that it wasn't all another mind trick from Prime to break her more. _don't go_ Catra wished _please don't go_

Her lip trembled as she opened her eyes again, Adora's grip had loosened ''They didn't find us'' she told her with confidence. Her angelic voice was enough for Catra to believe she was here, she was really here.

Catra mumbled something with what little control she had over her speech and Adora smiled. ''You're getting better''

''Don't worry about the clones, I'll protect you if anything happens'' She reminded her, running her fingers through her hair she looked down to see Catra's smug expression

 _yeah, yeah, I get it, big bad Adora's gonna beat up all the clones_ She thought as she saw the same fierce determination in her lover's eyes

''Hey, I'm serious! You know I would never let anyone hurt you'' She said that last part a little less playfully

Catra gave her another warm smile _I_ _know_

The two sat in silence until Catra finally managed to speak, the paralysis in her face finally having worn off ''h-hey Adora'' she whispered in a raspy voice

Adora sighed in relief ''You feeling any better?'' she quickly asked

''As good as you can be when you have an angry, overprotective, blonde warrior constantly trying to take care of you'' she commented sarcastically

Now it was Adora's turn to roll her eyes as she reached over to Catra's bag, pulling out a water bottle and some carefully wrapped granola bars (''they're like ration bars but with taste'' Glimmer had explained when she packed them for the trip) ''Is the rest of you any better?'' She asked 

Catra grunted, but she felt nothing, the rest of her was still completely numb ''nope, still totally useless''

''You know you're not useless, Catra'' Adora automatically responded

''Easy for you to say, you're not the one who spent the last four hours being babysat and taken care of'' Catra shot back

''Of course I'm gonna take care of you, like it or not, I'm always gonna take care of you'' Adora told her, almost irritated ''and besides, we look out for each other, you look out for me, I look out for you, that's just the way it is''

''Okay, fine, I'll make it up to you later'' She commented, unwilling to argue

''You don't have anything to make up to me'' Adora answered firmly before picking up the bottle and holding Catra upright ''You need to drink some water''

''Are you gonna be like this the whole night?'' Catra snidely remarked as Adora pushed the bottle to her lips. She didn't realize how thirsty she was until she started drinking, by the time Adora pulled it away, she's almost finished the whole thing.

''Give me a break, we're literally on the run from a massive clone army, you can't blame me for trying to at least help my girlfriend'' Adora explained, almost sadly

''Hey, you're helping me enough just by being here, and It's...nice to have you taking care of me, I'm just gonna make fun you for it'' she finished with more mischief in her tone

''You mean it?'' Adora looked back down at her, there was so much love in that gaze.

''Course I do'' Catra smiled back ''And in any case, I'd probably do the same for you''

Adora's heart fluttered at those words before she was brought back to reality for the task at hand ''Hey, you should probably eat something'' She reminded her, unwrapping one of the chewy granola bars Glimmer had packed the

Catra struggled to lift her head or hands, she tried again and again but it was no use, she couldn't even do that for herself.

''Just let me do this, okay'' Adora smiled as she brushed a strand of hair off Catra's face

She broke the bar into small pieces. Taking one, she asked Catra to eat some ''Don't be a baby, Catra, come on'' She put the piece to Catra's mouth, where she took it in with the least contact possible.

''this is embarrassing'' Catra cringed as she swallowed the piece. Adora was basically spoonfeeding her at this point.

''I'll try to never bring it up again if that helps'' Adora sighed as she handed Catra another piece, which she awkwardly took. She preferred not to respond in an effort to finish food as quickly as possible.

Once she had swallowed at least one and a half granola bar, Adora was finally satisfied and wrapped the rest, placing it back in the bag

''That wasn't so bad, was it?'' She tried, earning a groan from Catra, whose head had drooped down to rest on her chest again

''It was annoying, but the food was good'' she yawned

''You should sleep'' Adora told her as she struggled to keep her eyes open

''What about you?'' Catra seemed to be a little more alert now

''I'll be up to keep guard, if we're both asleep, we're toast to the clones'' She tried to justify it ''And well...I wanna be ready to protect you if anything happens'' she softly pet Catra's hair again at that last part

''Hey Adora?'' Catra's voice shook as she tried to keep herself awake

''Hm?'' Adora responded, already ready to spend the entire night watching over her

''You know you're the best girlfriend...ever, right?'' she said drowsily

Adora blushed ''Really?''

''Yeah'' Catra ''you're always here for me when I need you, even if I push you away, and, you're always trying to take care of me and help me and I...I love you'' she finished almost lamely, but her words were straight from the heart

Adora smiled at her before caressing her cheek ''You're always gonna be worth that and more to me'' she leaned in and kissed her on the forehead before readjusting her arms around her ''Now go to sleep or I'm gonna have to carry you all the way up the mountain tomorrow''

Catra nodded off almost immediately after hearing that, still in Adora's safe, protective hold. 

''I love you'' was the last thing she heard before she finally fell asleep in her lover's embrace.

**Author's Note:**

> I had a scene in my other story where Adora got paralyzed and I wanted to experiment with the idea a little more, so i made this oneshot instead
> 
> Comments are always appreciated


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